Homemakin'

I am going to write this at the risk of sounding a bit Martha Stewart...a simple table arrangement can really transform a room. There, I said it...and you know what...I don't feel ashamed because it is damn true. Look, in the past year it has hit me that I have become a homemaker. Now, I grew up in a household with a mother that was a high power attorney, a true product of the woman's liberation movement. While she was a brilliant lawyer, and excellent mom, she knits and needlepoints, but homemaking was not her forte.

Since I was not raised with any sort of model for homemaking in the traditional sense, I sometimes find myself overwhelmed in my new role. I am so new to this whole homemaker thing, and being a creative type and a Pisces to boot, lets just say rational organization does not come naturally to me. Oh, I have my own way of having everything in its place, but lets just say you wouldn't necessarily know that from the looks of things.

My neighbor is a whole different story. Her house looks like it is in a constant state of being photographed for a decor magazine. Absolute perfection. I watch her bustle about her yard, meticulously manicured without any help from a lawn service. I seek some solace in the fact that she uses synthetic fertilizers and herbicides while I toil in my garden the old fashioned way. She has two little boys and from the looks of it, she wears a size six maybe. I mean, this woman even finds the time to wash her and her husband's SUVs on a regular basis. She is a supernatural homemaker. Betty Crocker on steroids.

The culture of family in America has really left us homemakers holding the bag...the vacuum bag that is. Back in the day women had their mothers and aunts living with them, helping with children and chores...today we are on our own.

This year I have become a homemaker...and some how this epiphany transformed my before seemingly meaningless chores as part of some larger grander plan. At least that is what I am telling myself. I began to think about what makes a home a warm friendly habitat and two images came to mind, fresh flowers on the kitchen table and hot muffins fresh out of the oven.

When you walk into a room with fresh flowers it just has a different feel. It is such a simple gesture to make a home more inviting. A bright bouquet can bring a little light into even the dingiest bachelor pad. If you want to get a little creative, incorporate a veggie or fruit into the arrangement. So there you have it. Flowers and muffins.

Good Life Quest # 6/ Table Flowers
Find some flowers. On the walk home, on a hike, in the grocery store (if you find them at the store buy the different bunches) at the farmers market...wherever. At the grocery story buy a vegetable or fruit that you find beautiful. Bring your flora home and arrange them in a container. Place it on the table most used in your home. How does it change the atmosphere of the room? Does it make it more homey?